Sunday, March 05, 2017

Michigan priest sues SNAP for defamation

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has been hit
with a new lawsuit, by a Michigan priest who charges that the group
defamed and libeled him.

The lawsuit filed by Father Kenneth Kaucheck adds to the woes of
SNAP, which was rocked earlier this year by a suit filed by a former
employee, who charges that the group “callously disregards the real
interests” of sex-abuse victims, while soliciting donations from lawyers
who handle the victims’ complaints.

Soon after that suit was filed,
SNAP announced the resignation of its national director, David
Clohessey, and then its president, Barbara Blaine.

The new lawsuit by Father Kaucheck claims that SNAP falsely accused
him of molesting a teenage girl.

The suit argues that Father Kaucheck
never had any contact with girls at a facility described in the SNAP
accusation, and that - contrary to SNAP’s claim - the Detroit archdiocese
was fully aware of the priest’s involvement in raising funds for the
facility.

Since the charge against him was made by SNAP in 2009, Father
Kaucheck has been on administration leave.

The Media Report says that
the priest - who emphatically insists on his innocence - has never had an
opportunity to answer the charge in any civil or canonical hearing.